Director and screenwriter Denis Villeneuve’s sweeping trailer for Dune draws you into life on the barren, futuristic planet, Arrakis. Frank Herbert’s classic 1965 book, Dune, tells the story of Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet, whose family are the guardians of Arrakis. Being the only planet that can produce melange, or “the spice” – a drug that extends life and enhances mental abilities – Arrakis is coveted by many seeking to replace the current guardians.

As fans of the book know all too well, it has a supernatural quality about it that is difficult to translate to film – directors Alejandro Jodorowsky and David Lynch have both tried and failed. In addition, Dune tackles the challenging topics of politics, religion, ecology and spirituality – yes, all of them. And if that’s not enough, throw in a very deep cast of characters to try to keep track of. Complex? Yes, but well worth it. When interviewed, Villeneuve summed it up by saying, “Making this move is honestly the most difficult thing I’ve done in my life, by far.” Come December 18, 2020, you’ll be able to see for yourself how he did.